Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed on Wednesday to strengthen the strategic cooperation between Islamabad and Beijing, as well as multinational cooperation in colorful areas, including the China- Pakistan Economic Corridor(CPEC).
The bilateral agreement between the two leaders was reached as PM Shehbaz called on Xi at the People’s Great Hall of China this morning, hours after landing in Beijing history night for a two-day sanctioned visit.
During the meeting, the Chinese chairman and PM Shehbaz bandied “broad-grounded cooperation in frugality and investment and changed views on indigenous and global developments ”.
They expressed the desire to further promote the- rainfall strategic cooperation between their countries.
Maiden visit as PM
This is PM Shehbaz’s first sanctioned visit to China since he came premier in April. He’s heading a high-position delegation, including civil ministers, special sidekicks as well as the Sindh chief minister.
The premier is among the first world leaders to visit China following the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China that re-elected Xi as the party’s general clerk last month.
previous to his departure to Beijing on Tuesday, PM Shehbaz had explained that the trip was aimed at revitalising the ambitious CPEC, seeking investment in colorful sectors in Pakistan and adding bilateral trade.
He’d twittered that during his visit, he’d hold conversations with the Chinese leadership on the strengthening of bilateral relations, particularly the revitalization of the multi-billion-dollar CPEC design. The alternate phase of the design promised to usher in a new period of socio-profitable progress that would hoist the quality of people’s lives, he’d added.
“There’s a lot to learn from Chinese profitable phenomenon,” the premier had said.
My discussions with Chinese leadership will focus on revitalization of CPEC among many other things. 2nd phase of CPEC promises to usher in a new era of socio-economic progress that will uplift quality of our people's lives. There is a lot to learn from Chinese economic miracle. https://t.co/A6knRLzN6l
During the trip, the premier will also meet his Chinese counterpart, Premier Li Keqiang, on whose assignation he’s in Beijing.
The high minister is also listed to meet Chinese investors and Pakistani businessmen, and the visit is anticipated to advance the wide-ranging bilateral cooperation docket with the conclusion of a number of memoranda of understanding in different areas and consolidate the instigation of CPEC cooperation in the wake of the 11th meeting of the CPEC Joint Cooperation Committee held on Oct 27.
The coalition government in Islamabad has formally indicted the former PTI government of decelerating the pace of CPEC.